As a film historian with a soft spot for the golden era of Hollywood, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of empathy for Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart. These two giants of cinema, their lives intertwined like snowflakes on a winter’s eve, found themselves in the midst of a bittersweet storm.
Over several decades, Frank Capra’s 1946 holiday-themed family film, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” has become deeply ingrained in American culture as the epitome of a Christmas classic. It might be more accurate to simply refer to it as “the” Christmas classic. This would likely surprise anyone who saw it when it initially premiered (in empty theaters).
Reframing the idea: A tribute to the bittersweet reminiscence of the Greatest Generation’s youth (at a time when they were still young adults), the film has since gained an enlarged prestige, symbolizing nostalgia itself, even before the Hallmark Channel was established. Contrary to its upbeat name, the creation of this movie was a challenging ordeal for everyone involved, pushing the director into despair and self-questioning, resulting in harsh criticism towards those he relied on most. Disregarding its cheerful image, there were no friendships formed on this film set.
This film was created long ago, a time when re-watching movies wasn’t common practice, before Jimmy Stewart had achieved stardom, and snow was a groundbreaking visual effect. During World War II, Stewart paused his acting career to serve on an American bomber. Upon his return home, he discovered that he had been largely forgotten, as he no longer fit the roles of leading man he once played due to aging out of those film genres.
Previously, director Capra found himself navigating a tense dynamic with his writers, who were so frustrated by their relationship they felt like choking him. The production of the movie drove Capra into debt and forced him to defend against FBI agents accusing him of spreading communist ideologies. Despite its Christmas theme, the film’s true message was the focus, while the storyline took a backseat. Unfortunately, this significant cultural artifact went unnoticed for quite some time until it gained traction as affordable content for television broadcasts.
Before Capra Made a Classic, He Made Enemies
The movie is skillfully constructed to prompt not only nostalgia about childhood but also to reconsider and reinterpret past and ongoing hardships (such as bank failures, wars, depressions) within a broader context. This encourages viewers to focus on the well-being of society as a whole and the greater good, instead of being consumed by their personal struggles and anxieties. It’s a potent message that continues to be significant, even drawing the attention of the U.S. government. Let me elaborate further in the next part.
In the main, the casting process was relatively painless; Lionel Barrymore, drawing upon his earlier radio portrayals of Ebenezer Scrooge, was chosen for the part of the morally ambiguous Mr. Potter. Donna Reed initially wasn’t the original pick, and Jimmy Stewart had reservations about starring in a film centered around a man contemplating suicide, but found himself with no alternative. Having been away from acting for five years, Stewart appeared too lean and weathered to reclaim his matinée idol glory, and was eager for employment as a means to distract himself from the ongoing war. The decorated war veteran may have also been coping with hearing loss and PTSD due to his numerous tours during WWII, according to biographer Robert Matzen in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
Previously, Stewart, upon returning from the war, was inquired about his future projects with a question along the lines of: “If you’re going to create a film now, what would it be?” His response was: “I need to make a comedy. The world has already witnessed too much pain, turmoil, and sorrow.
Initially, things quickly unraveled on set as described by co-star Reed, who noted a tense atmosphere. More precisely, it was revealed that there was intense dislike towards director Capra among the cast and crew. This strained environment significantly affected the production, causing composer Dimitri Tiomkin to vow never to watch the film again due to Capra’s poor treatment of him. Defending himself, Capra argued that Tiomkin had not given his full commitment, as he divided his time between this project and another obligation. Feeling betrayed by their old friend, Capra removed several tracks from the score. Subsequently, Capra took issue with the script written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, dismissing them from the project. Grateful to be released from the set and away from their boss, their replacement also found himself at odds with Capra.
Making it Snow in Los Angeles
In many movies, the portrayal of weather effects, even though it’s commonplace, often escapes our attention, yet it holds historical importance. Typically, production studios have relied on various resources to create the illusion of snowfall and drifts. The primary concern was the execution, with the potential complications addressed later. One such method involved using white cornflakes cereal as a cheap alternative, which necessitated directors to re-record most outdoor dialogue due to the excessive crunchiness of the fake snow.
As a devoted cinephile, I can’t help but share my thoughts on how Frank Capra felt about dubbing: he considered it a squandering of both time and excellent acting performances.
If you found this to be extravagant or an indication of overconfidence on the director’s part, it certainly wasn’t seen that way by RKO Pictures. In the book “Cinema as Weather“, author Kristi McKim describes how RKO boasted that this chemical mixture was “the largest special effects team ever gathered,” with the setup process taking nearly a month. RKO marketed the film as a technical masterpiece.
In a unique approach, film director Russell Shearman blended “foamite,” gypsum, crushed ice, and powdered plaster to craft the enchanting winter scene of their fictional New England town for the movie. Impressive as it was, this method likely caused respiratory issues and eye irritation. Despite that, it’s far safer than using asbestos, the go-to artificial snow in the 1930s. Unfortunately, the costly endeavor left Shearman and his Liberty Films company struggling financially, having earned just around $3.3 million at the box office.
Is ‘It’s a Wonderful Life‘ a Communist Conspiracy or Wholesome Family Viewing?
In the late ’40s, as Cold War apprehension was building up, it was only natural that J. Edgar Hoover’s focus shifted to every film produced in Hollywood due to the growing paranoia. As a result, Capra found himself dealing with issues far beyond a typical studio lot filled with stale frosted flakes, as everyone who had ever associated with him came under investigation.
In return for the movie, he faced professional uncertainties and allegations of spreading covert Soviet propaganda, as detailed in the book “Sex and Violence”. FBI agent D.M. Ladd labeled the film as subversive, claiming it “maligned bankers by portraying Lionel Barrymore as a ‘Scrooge-like’ character to make him the most detested figure in the movie.” However, the FBI was overinterpreting the bank storyline when they suggested this hypothesis.
Regardless of Jimmy Stewart being a lifelong conservative, his association with Dalton Trumbo and Clifford Odets, two known socialists, raised eyebrows for the FBI about the film’s genuine purpose. In those days, even a whisper that a movie was “pink” or left-leaning was enough to trigger federal agents to monitor our phone conversations and rummage through our trash bins like a hungry raccoon on the hunt.
The film, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” received numerous Oscar nominations, but the losses it incurred dampened any sense of recognition that director Frank Capra felt. In his final years, he was filled with resentment due to the demise of Liberty Films and his belief that the industry had contributed to his downfall. Initially, reviews for the film were mixed, with any political undertones being overshadowed by its feel-good nature. However, over time, this classic movie has become a significant milestone in the careers of Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra, despite its rocky start. In essence, it served as a comforting distraction for families stuck at home, engaging in awkward conversations during the difficult times. So, in many ways, we can thank Frank Capra for this timeless masterpiece.
Stream It’s a Wonderful Life on Prime Video and The Roku Channel.
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2024-11-17 03:02